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View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoBrooke LaValley | Columbus DispatchVeterinarian Molly McLeod prepares to check on Hershey, a pit-bull-mix puppy, during a visit to the Columbus home of Katherine McHenry. McLeod and another veterinarian run City Paws, one of two winners of the KickStart Columbus competition.

If your skittish cat freaks out whenever you try to jam it into one of those
claustrophobia-inducing kitty carriers, you have reason to rejoice: City Paws, a veterinary service
that makes house calls, is one of the winners of the KickStart Columbus competition.

“Every cat owner we talk to says the biggest pain is getting them to the vet,” said Molly
McLeod, who runs City Paws with fellow veterinarian Lauren Holtvoigt.

The City Paws business, which treats dogs and cats, was one of the two winners of KickStart
Columbus, organized by Columbus City Council and several community-development organizations. The
goal is to help fledging local businesses take off, create jobs and make the Downtown corridor more
vibrant.

The second winner was Julie Wilkes, the up-tempo owner of Seven Studios, which she describes as
a yoga, Pilates, life-coaching and inspirational retreat. She teaches classes, gives inspirational
speeches and has a line of products and workout videos.

“My biggest selling point is the energy I put out there,” Wilkes said.

Among the prizes for winning is free Downtown office space for a year on the 200 block of S.
3rd Street.

Fifteen new or small local companies applied, and four finalists presented their business
plans to a panel of judges this week.

The other finalists were FBombMedia, which designs mobile-technology applications for the
education community, and Fernbird, a boutique in Clintonville that works with charitable
organizations to end sex trafficking and help the victims.

As many as three winners were possible in the competition, Councilman A. Troy Miller said. Thus,
three offices were set aside, at 267, 275 and 281 S. 3rd St. Each is about 1,150 square feet and
would ordinarily cost $13,200 a year to lease. After a year of free rent, the KickStart winners pay
50 percent of the lease fee in the second year and 75 percent in the third year.

Which business will take which address was not immediately available.

The block-long building is owned by Capital South, the nonprofit Downtown revitalization
corporation that also operates Columbus Commons.

“Our goal is to have more activity Downtown, and retail is a key part of that,” said Amy Taylor,
Capital South’s chief operating officer. “KickStart is a wonderful mix of entrepreneurism and a
perfect fit for us.”

The winners also will receive free mentoring sessions from the Economic and Community
Development Institute, a local nonprofit organization, and up to $1,000 for signage.

“Both of these businesses are destination businesses,” said Cleve Ricksecker, a judge in the
competition and executive director of the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, which
represents Downtown property owners.

City Paws will use its space on S. 3rd Street as an administrative office and supply center and
also will sell pet food and toys there. It will not see patients at the site.

“There are so many pet owners within a mile of this location, and there isn’t any other store
that sells pet products Downtown,” Ricksecker said.

Holtvoigt and McLeod make house calls and also hire other veterinarians to work for them part
time. They also work with more-traditional veterinarians, referring animals with more-serious
medical issues they can’t address to these clinics.

Ricksecker said the judges were impressed by the entrepreneurial skills of Wilkes, who has built
a following and a diversified product line.

“She’s clearly demonstrated an ability to build a business already,” he said.

Wilkes said her heart “skipped a beat” when Miller announced she was one of the winners.

This phrase has added significance for the 37-year-old, who was born with a congenital heart
disease.

“The doctors said I wouldn’t make it to my teens, so I’ve already outlived that by three times,”
she said. “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, and I want to make the most of it.”

Ricksecker is optimistic that City Paws and Seven Studios will help create the elusive and
much-desired vibe this area of Downtown needs to become a retail hub.

“I’m jazzed by this whole area,” he said, adding that the nearby restaurants Dirty Franks Hot
Dog Palace and Little Palace on S. 4th Street are bringing a lot of feet to the street.

Minutes after the winners were announced, Wilkes, Holtvoigt and McLeod congratulated one another
and began doing what entrepreneurs always seem to do: networking.

“I have this video,
Fetch & Sculpt, and while the dog fetches, the owner does circuit training,” Wilkes
said. “I told them about it, and they said they’d put it in their store.”